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It wasn't so much the 27 points he scored to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 115-109 victory over the Magic, but the recurring memory of the Magic bypassing him in the 2005 draft to take long-lost Fran Vazquez, who is still playing in Spain.

"Yes, they are one of the teams that let me slide past," Granger said. "But everything worked out for the best — at least for me it did."

When the Magic took Vazquez, who was playing in Europe, with the No. 11 pick that year, Granger kept sliding, finally falling to the Pacers at No. 17.

It's a draft the Magic would like to forget. Just like the game Friday night when a woeful-shooting fourth quarter — coupled with the earlier hot shooting of Granger — put a damper on their fast start this season.

Granger, now in his third NBA season, has become the Pacers' leading scorer (17.8 ppg). Although they were picked to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, they have joined the Magic as one of the league's surprises. Granger is the biggest reason why.

Like the Magic (16-5), the Pacers (10-10) have shown resiliency, playing better on the road (6-4) than at home (4-6) this season.

"We heard what people were saying about us, but we knew we were better than that," Granger said. "We're not settling for being good. We want to be great, even if no one else thinks we can be."

Granger has become proof that gems can be found in the middle of the draft. Coming out of the University of New Mexico, Granger left teams nervous about his surgically-repaired right knee.

He finished his college career at less than 100 percent because he returned too quickly after surgery. The knee was slightly swollen when he did his pre-draft workouts.

"It was disappointing for the way I fell in the draft, but looking back now, I guess it was understandable," he said. "It's part of my history."

On Friday, Granger was both hot and cold. He hit six of seven shots from 3-point range, but he missed badly on a dunk late in the game. And he missed two other shots from close range.

He had four steals, two blocks and several deflections, causing problems for the Magic attack with his long, active arms in the passing lanes.

"Danny had 15 deflections. I've been keeping deflection stats for 25 years, and I've never seen anyone play 15 deflections, meaning he's getting his hands on a lot of balls," said Pacers Coach Jim O'Brien. "If he stops missing layups, he's going to be a player."

DAG GUM IT! Danny is my favorite player and the Pacers beat the Magic, and I didn't get to see it!

I'm having nothing but trouble trying to watch a Pacer game lately. Last game against Phoenix I turned on league pass and both channels 753 and 754 showed Detroit playing Atlanta. (Comcast Florida) Indiana was supposed to play Phoenix on 754.

I thought it strange, but was sure they would show the right games, but then both channels started showing Detroit and Atlanta. So I phoned Comcast and they finally got it straightened out midway of the first quarter.

The Orlando game I didn't get to see, period!

I have it set up so I can watch TV and be on my computer at the same time. I like that because I can watch the game on the TV and see the stats on my computer.

I was messing around on the computer waiting for the game to start on League Pass when I noticed it was 7:05, and the game hadn't come on. Curious, I started flipping channels. When I came back to the League Pass channel that had the Pacer's and Magic listed, all I got was a blank screen.

It took me a second but then I remembered the Pacers were playing a Florida team so no doubt it was being televised by a Florida station. I changed channels to the one that usually televises Magic games, (SUNB) but they were showing a football game. Uh-Oh!

I went to a online site that has a tv-guild and it said another Florida station (FSNFL) was televising the game. My relief was short lived, FSNFL was showing old NFL highlites. ^#%&%#$!!!!!

Mad, I started watching the live game stats on NBA.com.

With the Pacers down ten in the first half, and throughly disgusted, I turned the computer off and went to bed.

Six hours later I get online expecting a twenty point Pacer loss, only to see the headline, Granger leads Pacers by Magic, 115-109.

GREAT! I decided I would watch the replay on NBA broadband.

%#@&**%!!!!!

NBA.com won't recognize my Comcast league Pass account.

Now I read Danny had 15 deflections and hit 6/7 three pointers!

%^$#^(*&%^$@%^O))__(*%$#%^^!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EDIT; Oh, one more thing. I won't be able to see the Cleveland game this coming Tuesday either. I just looked at the Pacers schedule and the game is on NBATV, and Comcast down here in Florida doesn't include it with League Pass. It's in a Sports Package and costs extra.

Re: Granger reminds Magic of the past

"Danny had 15 deflections. I've been keeping deflection stats for 25 years, and I've never seen anyone play 15 deflections, meaning he's getting his hands on a lot of balls," said Pacers Coach Jim O'Brien. "If he stops missing layups, he's going to be a player."

Re: Granger reminds Magic of the past

WELCKS to the Laftiest of them all. The incorrect spelling of the past form of laughed - but the way it should have been spelled in the first place. He's re-writing the rules. And he's feeling a little hung over...so give him a warm welcome. He's no longer a lurker!!! WELCKS!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Granger reminds Magic of the past

The funny thing is that in many ways Danny had a pretty sub-par game. He got red hot from 3 of course, but even that took awhile to develop (3rd qtr basically). Once his shot started falling he really dialed up his defense and got more into the game, though he had some nice one on one defensive efforts in the first half too.

But he also continued what we saw vs PHX, and that is just badly misreading the court at times. When he starts to see the game like Dunleavy or Tinsley do he's going to be a monster. His success right now, with the ORL game as a primary example, often comes in spite of his own decisions. He puts himself in tough spots, or his teammates. He rotates incorrectly, gets beat by his man upcourt after his own miss, fails to see the developing holes on defense, and so on.

Dude is Pippen, I'll still stand by that. Not because he's seeing the game at that level yet, but because in the times when he does synch in, in the times when he is in a comfort zone, he's shown that he has the individual skill set of a Pippen (sans the dribble-drive/passing...yet).

I love the situation he's in right now because I think Tinsley and Dunleavy are able to direct and teach him. Maybe not in a Ron Artest way, but simply by saying things like "cut now" as Tins did last night before dropping a nice dime to him as he left the arc for the lane. Eventually he's not going to need to be told this stuff, and then look out.

Danny had 27 points and 15 deflections, and it wasn't one of his better games. Whats he going to wind up with when he has a good . . . no . . . whats he going to wind up with when he has a great ballgame?

Re: Granger reminds Magic of the past

I hear what you're saying, but I want to point out that in the first quarter last night Dunleavy had the single most bone-headed turnover I've seen in years.

Everybody who saw the game knows the one I'm talking about.

Well that is true. I'm not sure what to think of some of Dun's game, but it doesn't feel like "smarts" in an awareness sense. For him there is this nature to force some really silly crap at times. It almost seems like it's in spite of knowing better.

For a more general example, should Mike EVER try to go with that behind the back dribble? Hell no. Talk about that Jack vs Mike comparison, both have some pretty ugly in-traffic one on one dribble moves that result in dumb turnovers. Rememeber how far Jack would dribble from his body as he posted up, only to have the drop down guy swipe it from him? Some of Mike's dribble moves are similar to that.

When Danny forces things it seems more like he doesn't know what other options he has. Plus he's painfully prone to getting into watch-mode on both ends.

Re: Granger reminds Magic of the past

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sport...,7132210.story
EDIT; Oh, one more thing. I won't be able to see the Cleveland game this coming Tuesday either. I just looked at the Pacers schedule and the game is on NBATV, and Comcast down here in Florida doesn't include it with League Pass. It's in a Sports Package and costs extra.